


Dutch Courage

by Ihadtogointohiding



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Drunk John, Fix-It, Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot, all my boys are happy, series 4 predictions/hopes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 11:04:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6421435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ihadtogointohiding/pseuds/Ihadtogointohiding
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I cheaped out and just summarized how i want it to be because i just wanted to skip to the fluff. also, this was recovered from an old laptop and i proofread it once so let me know if there are any mistakes</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dutch Courage

It was 6 months after he had moved back in to Baker Street. Mary had never been pregnant, they had never really been in love and John had never really been any good at saying no to Sherlock. Sherlock had insisted John move back as it was “the only logical solution” to John’s situation and John had only been slightly disappointed when Sherlock had given him back his old room. He had moved back to Baker Street and things had been almost the same as before; almost. John’s sham of a marriage had made him realize that life really was too short. He had given up denying his feelings for the lanky detective and had knocked on the door of 221B fully intending to tell Sherlock just how he felt but then the younger man had been his usual acerbic self and John had not been able to bring himself to ruin the equilibrium they had managed to re-establish despite everything that had happened. They had gone back to what they knew and John had decided that a life with Sherlock by his side but not in his bed was a better life than one without him.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
John hadn’t intended to get quite as drunk as he had. Lestrade had invited him out for a drink with the proviso that he had something to tell him. They had casually chatted about a recent case through the first pint and as John sat down with the second round he finally asked.  
“So, what is it you wanted to tell me?”  
At the worried look on Greg’s face, the doctor had clapped his friend on the shoulder and reassured him that he would support him no matter what was going on. Greg had taken a deep breath and spoken  
“I’m dating Mycroft” Johns jaw dropped in shock and before he could lose his nerve, Greg continued “have been for a while now and I’m telling you now because I love him and I think I want to propose. Honestly, I need some advice. I know you are not gay and I don’t want it to be weird but I’m looking for relationship advice and I just needed a friend.”  
John tried to recover from his shock and quickly reassured the DI that he would of course be there as a friend. Once Greg’s nerves about telling John had been dispelled, the conversation carried on a lot easier. John gave him some solid advice through another couple of pints and he teased the older man for the slight blush that crept onto his face when he spoke of the man that world leaders cowered before. Once Greg had aired his relationship troubles, he bought a round of celebratory shots that just so happened to be on a 6 for £20 offer aimed at the uni students that usually frequented the pub they were in. After downing the shots through laughter and coughing, the two men sat in companionable, drunken silence until Johns sober thoughts came out of his drunken mouth.  
“How do you even tell a Holmes you love him?” he asked of the silver haired man.  
“Well, with Mycroft I just sat him down, told him to lower himself down to a mortal level for a moment and told him. Sherlock won’t necessarily be the same though.”  
“How do you know I mean Sherlock?” John clearly lost all logical thinking and any deductive ability Sherlock had taught him when he was drunk and Greg gave him a look that said just that. It would probably have been more impressive had he not burped whilst giving sed look.  
“Ok” John sighed “I was going to tell him but I diodnt want to ruin our friendship by telling him how I feel and making it awkward.”  
“Mate, Sherlock feels the same way about you. He and Myc like to pretend they are above it all but really, they feel it all even more than we do. Tell him and I promise you won’t regret it. They think I don’t know but Sherlock came to Myc for advice just before you moved back to Baker Street. Wanted to tell you not to take your old room and Myc just told him to be careful.”  
“You call him Myc?”  
“Really John, that’s what you took from that?!” the two laughed at each other for a while before John had a moment of clear mindedness.   
“No but really Greg, thanks.”  
“No worries mate. Now what say we do a few more shots and give these young’uns a run for their money?”  
“You’re on old man!”  
About an hour later, John found himself outside Baker Street, having hitched a ride from the car Mycroft had sent for Greg. John had taken the piss out of Greg the whole way home until he saw his own front door and was grimly reminded of what he needed to do when he went inside and before he lost his nerve.  
He took a deep breath as he opened the front door and found Sherlock sat in his chair, reading  
“Sherls! Need to tell you something quick.”  
“Dear lord John, is it to do with how you ended up with a high enough blood alcohol content to make me wonder how on earth you made it up the stairs?”  
“No, smartass, ‘sbout you and me.”  
“What about us?” Sherlock asked with a worried tone in his voice  
“Greg told me I should just tell you so here it goes.” He took a deep breath at the same time Sherlock started to hold his breath. The detective was preparing himself for the worst, waiting for John to tell him he was moving out, that coming back had been a mistake. Just as he was about to beg John to stay, the doctor started speaking.  
“I love you Sherlock and I wanted to say for ages but I thought you would hate me cos I know you don’t like me that way but I just had to tell you and I promise I will leave as soon as I recover from this hangover.”  
Sherlock was silent and shocked for so long that it took him a minute to register the fact that John had run off to the kitchen to be sick in the sink that was mercifully free of experiments at that point in time.   
He helped John up and to the bathroom. As soon as he had finished brushing his teeth, John lunged at Sherlock and kissed him. As first kisses go, it was not that great. John was sloppy where Sherlock was frozen with shock and as much as Sherlock wanted it; it couldn’t be now. He pushed John away from him and held him by the jaw.  
“Look at me John and listen, I really need you to hear this. As much as I wish everything you are saying and doing was true, I cannot be sure. You have had too much to drink and I need to hear it sober to be able to move forward.” He softened his tone and his hold on John as he continued “I return your feelings John and I want us to move forward with this more than anything but I can’t abuse your trust John, I just can’t.” His eyes dropped along with his hand as he delivered the last bit of his speech.  
“I understand Sherlock, I do.” He whispered. He continued to whisper as he asked Sherlock “will you at least stay with me tonight, I tend to get nightmares when I drink and I don’t want to be alone. Please?” his voice cracked with his last plea, as did Sherlock’s heart when he thought of this brave man suffering and finally asking for help.   
Sherlock couldn’t help himself from nodding in agreement as he followed John into his bedroom. He stripped down to his pants and as he went to crawl into bed, he was once again seized and found himself this time responding to firm, chapped lips against his; a man only has so much willpower and Sherlock was an addict after all. He managed to pull away, gasping, and said   
“In the morning John. If you still feel this way in the morning and what you said was true then kiss me awake. If you decide it was all a horrible drunken mistake then leave me.”  
“Ok Sherlock” John whispered. “I have never so eagerly awaited a morning after.” He grabbed some painkillers from the bedside drawer and dry swallowed them before falling into bed.

John woke up the next morning, very confused. He knew he wasn’t in his own bed and as he lie there and let the details of the evening slowly come back to him, he remembered the incentive Sherlock had given him before he fell asleep. He hoped the detective hadn’t already left him and rolled over prepared for the worst.  
He was met with those amazing eyes. He could never decide what colour they were and he was amazed by the fact that they did not seem to be dulled by sleep. Before he could say or do anything, the detective quietly asked  
“Still?”  
“Always” replied John and with that he met Sherlock’s lips and they finally had a decent kiss. It was soft from sleep but full of the emotions both men had been repressing for so long. As they pulled apart, John asked  
“How could you think I wouldn’t want this? I want you all the time, drunk or sober. I have always wanted you, it just took me a while to stop lying to myself. Why did you never say anything?”  
“Why would you want me? You are everything I have ever wanted and I couldn’t live with myself if I drove you away by admitting my feelings because I am not what you wanted.”  
You are the only thing I want Sherlock. Trust me, believe me. Please.”  
“I do John, I believe you. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
Sherlock moved this time and after a few gentle minutes of kissing, they broke apart as Sherlock started giggling.  
“What’s so funny?” John asked even as a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth  
“All this time, we were both hiding how we felt for fear of the other leaving and all it took was some cheap shots to solve this problem. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble.” There was no vehemence in his voice but rather affection as he stroked his hand along John’s jawline  
“We could have rather, couldn’t we? Suppose this makes us both idiots then.”  
“I don’t mind”  
“Me neither, now keep kissing me, we have a lot of catching up to do.”  
They spent the day rather content to laze around in bed and enjoy the new physicality of the relationship they had always been in, happier now that they were exactly where they wanted to be with exactly who they wanted to be with.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I know I have a bit more of a Mystrade rep but I do love a classic ship and i still kept my favourite boys happy


End file.
